Mexico City on a budget

Daily budget and trip cost

AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.

Typical prices

Approximate prices in Mexico City, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.

Money-saving tips

• The Zócalo, the cathedral, the Basilica, Chapultepec Park, Museo Soumaya, Biblioteca Vasconcelos and Ciudad Universitaria are free.
• Eat a comida corrida set lunch at a fonda for a full meal at a fraction of restaurant prices.
• The Metro and Metrobús cost very little; use them by day and ride-hailing at night.
• Withdraw pesos from ATMs inside banks or shopping centres, and decline 'conversion' to your home currency on card terminals.
• Carry small notes and coins for markets, street food and tips; many stalls cannot change large bills.
• Prices rise sharply around Día de Muertos and big events, so book early or travel outside those dates.

Free things to do

• Zócalo — The Plaza de la Constitución, universally called the Zócalo, is one of the largest public squares in the world, laid out over the ceremonial centre of Tenochtitlan.
• Metropolitan Cathedral — The largest cathedral in the Americas was built in stages between 1573 and 1813, mixing Renaissance, baroque and neoclassical styles; its gilded Altar of the Kings is the highlight.
• National Palace murals — The seat of the federal government on the east side of the Zócalo holds Diego Rivera's epic murals of Mexican history, painted between 1929 and 1951 around the main staircase and first-floor corridors, from the Aztec city through the conquest to the Revolution.
• Plaza Garibaldi — Mariachi bands in silver-studded charro suits gather in Plaza Garibaldi, north of the Alameda, to play for paying customers, especially in the evening.
• Coyoacán centre — Coyoacán's two central squares, Jardín Centenario with its coyote fountain and Plaza Hidalgo with the 16th-century church of San Juan Bautista, fill with families, balloon sellers and street performers at weekends.
• Museo Soumaya — Carlos Slim's free museum in Plaza Carso is housed in a curving building covered in about 16,000 hexagonal aluminium tiles.

All free things to do in Mexico City.

Where to stay on a budget

Eating well for less

• Tacos al pastor — Taquerías across the city, from long-established El Huequito in the Centro to late-night stands in Roma and Condesa; look for a busy trompo.
• Chilaquiles — Cafés, fondas and market stalls across the city; Roma and Condesa cafés serve elaborate versions.
• Tamales and atole — Street stands outside Metro stations and on corners in the early morning.
• Tlacoyos — Women's griddle stands in markets and near Metro stations, especially in the Centro and Coyoacán.
• Quesadillas — Market fondas and street stalls across the city.
• Conchas and pan dulce — Neighbourhood panaderías and the vast Pastelería Ideal in the Centro.

Getting around for less

Questions travellers ask